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Zeolite amendment reduces lead accumulation and improves growth and yield in tomato plants irrigated with sewage water

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Abstract

Although sewage water (SW) is a source of nutrients, it also causes heavy metal accumulation in soil; especially, lead (Pb+) contamination of soil is a serious concern in agriculture. Soil contaminants limit the bioavailability of nutrients to plants. So, they affect plant growth and produce quality. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of zeolite soil amendment on the accumulation of Pb+ in tomato crop grown with SW irrigation. The pot media of SW-irrigated plants was amended with different concentrations of zeolite, viz., 0.75%, 1.50%, and 2.25%. The results showed that the application of 0.75% zeolite increased leaf area, plant height, fruit number, and plant fresh and dry biomasses by 37%, 17%, 14%, 24%, and 7% compared to freshwater irrigation. Moreover, the lowest zeolite dose also led to higher chlorophyll content (68.02 SPAD) compared to SW-irrigated plants (55.13 SPAD). Similarly physiological traits, such as A, gs, and E, were higher (17.68 µmol m−2 s−1, gs 0.28 mmol m−2 s−1, and 7.88 mmol m−2 s−1, respectively) in 0.75% zeolite-treated plants than in SW-irrigated plants (12.99 µmol m−2 s −1, 0.19 mmol m−2 s−1, and 7.00 mmol m−2 s −1, respectively). On the contrary, a reduced level of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde and decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes were observed in low-dose zeolite applied plants. Zeolite reduced Pb+ accumulation in tomato plants as compared to SW-irrigated plants, whereby Pb accumulation in the fruits of SW-irrigated plants was 80% more than those of zeolite + SW–treated plants. Conclusively, this study has revealed the improvement in morphological and physiological growth attributes of the SW-irrigated tomato plant in response to zeolite application.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

    Rashid Jawad, Aamir Nawaz, Shaghef Ejaz, Sajid Ali & Muhammad Shahzad Saleem

  2. Department of Horticulture, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan

    Rashid Jawad

  3. Department of Agronomy, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan

    Hafiz Mohkum Hammad

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  1. Rashid Jawad
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  2. Aamir Nawaz
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  3. Shaghef Ejaz
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  4. Sajid Ali
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  5. Muhammad Shahzad Saleem
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  6. Hafiz Mohkum Hammad
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Contributions

Aamir Nawaz, Shaghef Ejaz, and Sajid Ali contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Rashid Jawad and Muhammad Shahzad Saleem. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Rashid Jawad and Hafiz Mohkum Hammad. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Shaghef Ejaz.

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Highlights

• Zeolite increased growth and yield of tomato plant irrigated with sewage water.

• Zeolite amendment decreased lead accumulation in tomato plant parts.

• Zeolite amendment reduced oxidative stress in lead-stressed tomatoes.

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Jawad, R., Nawaz, A., Ejaz, S. et al. Zeolite amendment reduces lead accumulation and improves growth and yield in tomato plants irrigated with sewage water. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 41970–41982 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-25190-7

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